Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Powers has made it no secret he plans to leave in 2015. The follow-up headline is Powers is refusing to resign, but is willing to discuss a timetable for his leaving. If someone is trying to fire Bill Powers immediately (effective this fall), that someone has to be Rick Perry.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Powers has made it no secret he plans to leave in 2015. The follow-up headline is Powers is refusing to resign, but is willing to discuss a timetable for his leaving. If someone is trying to fire Bill Powers immediately (effective this fall), that someone has to be Rick Perry.

Hello Darrell.....

What is the word?.....

Today is Friday......Crossfire today?......I know it is the 4th of July, but its that time again....

"One source familiar with both the investigation and the latest conversation between Cigarroa and Powers said: â€œItâ€™s not an investigation. Itâ€™s an inquisition designed to get rid of Bill Powers.â€"

AUSTIN, Texas--Two highly placed sources say University of Texas president Bill Powers has been given a choice: resign by the end of the day July 4, or be fired next week. The order comes as a whistleblower has allegedly stepped forward with information tying Powers directly to a growing admissions scandal. The sources tell Breitbart Texas that the decision to axe Powers came early Thursday, with the ultimatum handed down by UT Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa and Board of Regents chairman Paul Foster.

A spokesman for the University of Texas told Breitbart via email that "Powers does not publicly discuss private conversations that may have occurred."

Earlier this week, as an investigation was being launched into allegations that under-qualified students were being admitted into Texasâ€™ flagship institution based on their political ties and relationships, the director of admissions announced she was leaving her job. This new investigation by Cigarroa comes on the heels of a cursory review by the UT System which found examples of inappropriate swaying the admissions process at the Austin campus.

Those allegations have been at the center of an unprecedented impeachment effort -- with lawmakers trying to silence the regent who first brought the problems to light. UT Regent Wallace Hall, an appointee of Gov. Rick Perry, has been under fire from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker Straus and other lawmakers friendly with Powers. They are upset that he has been conducting an investigation into legislative clout being used to sway the admissions process and other issues with UT's governance.

According to two sources familiar with the events, a whistleblower from within the university has stepped forward early this week with information that appears to have tipped the scales against Powers.

If Powers decides to resign, according to a source personally familiar with the unfolding situation, he would be allowed to remain on the job for several more months. Otherwise, according to Breitbart Texas' sources, Powers would be terminated next week.

The UT Board of Regents is scheduled to meet next week.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The UT president has had a rocky relationship with the Board of Regents, but has developed an extensive group of high-profile supporters through a public relations program known as the "Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education," which has been spearheaded by Powers loyalists. Among those behind the group is Karen Hughes, a media strategist closely aligned with House Speaker Joe Straus.

Strausâ€™ hand-picked committee, co-chaired by his allies Dan Flynn (R-Van) and Carol Alverado (D-Houston), spent the last six months investigating Hall rather than the financial and operational abuses he uncovered. Flynn, Alverado and their committee voted last month to proceed with developing impeachment charges, saying only that Hall should not have been investigating the issues as doggedly as he had been.

Perry has stood by Hall, saying the regent "should be commended," not impeached, for "asking tough questions, gathering facts and searching for the truth."

Even though the House committee has been dismissive of allegations that lawmakers were bullying the admissions process, a report by the UT System found undue influence may have been at work. A second, more comprehensive, investigation was announced by Chancellor Cigarroa earlier this week.

Up until now most of the public allegations of clout abuse have centered around admissions at the UT Law School (of which Powers was once the dean), yet Cigarroaâ€™s call for a more expansive investigation would indicate a more wide-spread problem.

Reporter Jon Cassidy of the non-profit news site watchdog.org has also done a great deal of original investigative reporting on the law school admissions. Cassidy has found thatseveral children and staff of legislators were admitted to the law school but took three or more times to pass the state bar exam â€” a highly unusual circumstance.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

If this is going down Perry needs to let the next Governor Abbott pick his successor. ... Abbott is a UT graduate and I don't want some Aggie picking the next president. ... just my thoughts on the subject. ..

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

If this is going down Perry needs to let the next Governor Abbott pick his successor. ... Abbott is a UT graduate and I don't want some Aggie picking the next president. ... just my thoughts on the subject. ..

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

If this is going down Perry needs to let the next Governor Abbott pick his successor. ... Abbott is a UT graduate and I don't want some Aggie picking the next president. ... just my thoughts on the subject. ..

We can probably all agree on that.

More troubling is the implication that this focused targeting and impeachment of Hall was motivated by revenge-seeking state-level politicians who appear to have been desperately trying to keep quiet the details of favorable law school admissions they, or their relatives and friends, may have enjoyed. If this were happening in Alabama or involved one aggy getting Pol getting his inbred cousin into a&m, we could all share a giggle. But this kind of stuff is not supposed to happen with us. I hope this is not actually the case here. But if it is the case, I am inclined to support bringing back public hangings for this special occasion. The 'Hangin Tree' in Columbus is still there.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

This has nothing to do with UT vs A&M. The guy calling the shots here, Jeff Sandefer, is a UT alum.

This is an attack on higher education in Texas. It's shortsighted to make it about one school vs another.

And this is why I love the internet. I was under the mistaken impression the UT BOR answered to the governor and not to Jeff Sandefer. One quick question, does the governor also answer to Jeff Sandefer, or just the UT BOR?

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I don't want Perry to appoint a dogcatcher. He is the archenemy of education, both the public school system and universities in Texas. My biggest concern is The University and the public school system. A&M rolled over for him, and they can dig themselves out.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

This has nothing to do with UT vs A&M. The guy calling the shots here, Jeff Sandefer, is a UT alum.

This is an attack on higher education in Texas. It's shortsighted to make it about one school vs another.

BS.... this has everything to do with Perry and his plan to change Texas and less the value of a UT Degree...or for you aggies out there to make UT an equal with an aggie degree. I know I simplified a little and I know there are other politics involved in it, but that's the one I'm concerned about the most....

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

You can blame whomever you'd like and perry certainly deserves the lionshare for empowering sandefer but all of the ideas here are sandefers.

Perry is the muscle but sandefer is the mind behind it all.

The thought of Perry being the mind behind anything is scary.

Rick Perry deserves 100% of the blame for the entire fiasco. Aggy was founded as a branch of the University of Texas and was intended to be the land grant college where the masses could get a watered down, practical degree focused on technical aspects of vocational instruction. Of course, aggy being aggy, those running the college failed to execute its mission. Perry is now trying to return tamu to its original mission and allow every high school grad with access to ten grand and who wants a college degree to get one from aggy. Already aggy offers instruction to more students than UT Austin on about 60% of the budget UT spends. Aggy spends less than $25,000 per full time student annually. At UT, that figure is over $40,000 per student.

For aggy to cut tuition and run that figure down to $20,000 per student (the level of North Texas or UT Dallas) would not be a big change. If UT was forced to do that, it would forever change UT and waste the billions spent making UT Austin what it is today. That is why the legislature did nothing when Perry pushed tamu back to its land grant origins. It also explains why the legislature said "no" to Perry's plan to do the same to UT Austin.

Rick Perry is absolutely trying to drive UT Austin down to cow college standards. Sandefer is unquestionably playing navigator and defining what those standards will be, but it is Perry who is driving the bus.